armageddon - Timeline 1
by Ca1piggy
Summary: In Timeline 1's surprise attack, Bell and team captured 2 bosses. Sensing the tide turning, the enemy made their move in Orario. The team, minus Riveria, and the Freya familia moved to engage the enemy after Harihume performed her role. Riveria, other familias and their allies are defending the Babel. (I do not own Danmachi)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 (I do not own Danmachi - Also information from 'In the beginning' is important for this phase of the story)

Instead of surrendering, Bell, Ais, Tiona, Riveria, Mikoto, Bete, Ryuu and Asfi executed a stunning surprise attack on the 18th floor. After achieving total tactical surprise, they were able to defeat and capture the Light and Earth Great elemental spirits, who were not expecting a brazen attack or the power boost from Bell's recent leveling and advanced Uchide no Kozuchi. With thousands of monster chasing them, they escaped back to the surface carrying the unconscious but purified Great spirits. Sensing the tide turning, the Black Dragon and the corrupted Great spirits immediately initiated their attack at the Orario city gates.

As the city sirens screamed, Bell, Ais and the rest of the team moved to reinforce the Freya familia and Ganesha familia at the city gates. Due to the Black Dragon's mind-control powers, it was important for Bell and the team to isolate the Black Dragon from everyone else. Bell and Ais took the lead with the dragon using Joint Aerial. Holding hands tightly, each is thinking about what it would take to protect the other.

To lead the defense at the Babel, Riveria and the Xenos allies stayed behind along with the other familias. Being the only exit from the dungeon with the Knossos exits collapsed, the lid may well be where the battle is decided. As the army of powerful monsters headed towards the lid, the Xenos have volunteerily taken the vanguard position, earning a great deal of respect from all the familias. In preparation for the battle, Hephaestus familia members distributed a number of magic swords and Durandal weapons to the defenders. Mikoto and Filvis, with their gravity magic and defense magic, moved in position to serve as Riveria's personal guards. It is vital that Riveria, now a post-boost level 8 mage, can focus on her magic. She has the ultimate responsibility for protecting the entire group as well as delivering the pivotal attacks when the timing is right.

Meanwhile at an secret headquarter location, the gods are meeting to decide on their next move, while shielding Harihume's level-boost group from detection by the enemy. Hestia and Freya are both worried sick about Bell, while Hermes is apparently in deep telepathic conversation with someone. At the same time, Hephaestus, Welf and Tsubaki have been working feverishly on a new weapon based on Lili's information. Working with tears in their eyes, they will not allow her sacrifice to be made in vain.

With the battle field set, the final battle that will decide the fate of civilization, is about to begin.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

In the skies above Orario, Bell and Ais have engaged the Black Dragon using Aerial. It was larger than expected and its evil aura was suffocating. An initial firebolt/Ariel attack was negated by the dragon's ice breathe. The dragon then spoke to them using its charm "Wind spirit, you need to join me to make me complete, and we can live forever." At which point Bell responded "You already know that Earth and Light are back with us. Your sick plan is no more". Angered and surprised by their resistance to the charm, the dragon charged towards them, leading with an enormous fireball. Bell and Ais countered with a crystal/Ariel shield. Unfortunately, the massive fireball explosion was so large that it sent Bell and Ais spiraling wildly off-course...

On the grounds of Orario, the rest of the team watched and worried, but they could not fly even with the level boost from advanced Uchide no Kozuchi. Thus, they started setting up defensive positions against the water and ice Great spirits. Tiona and Tione stayed behind to guard Leifya and the mages from the Freya familia. In the meantime, Gareth, Bete and Finn coordinated with Ottar and the Freya familia in preparation for the clash with the Great Spirits and their elementals. Ryuu just arrived with Mia and her group to provide additional fighting strength, while the Ganesha familia is kept in reserve to protect the population and to provide emergency support as needed. Perhaps their biggest concern would be the uncountable number of violas expected to spring out from unknown locations.

At the Babel, the battle plan is being executed based largely on Lili's information. Asterius and the Xenos have engaged the first enemy wave with several heavenly male cows and hundreds of virga. A group of familia fighters have jumped in to assist the Xenos, with whom they are actually fighting side-by-side. From a higher floor of the Babel, Mages from the different familias have started launching attacks with good results. The remaining familia members have gathered in 2 groups in preparation for the next enemy wave, which is expected be headlined by the Great Fire Spirit and its elementals. Unfortunately, Lili's information does not include the third wave with an unknown leader. They are also on the lookout for an uncountable number of violas from unknown locations.

Positioned also on a higher floor of the Babel, Mikoto and Filvis have prepared their defensive perimeter. As they watch the enormous battle unfold, there was finally some time ironically to reflect on the last 2 days of non-stop action. As Mikoto readies her gravity magic, she has to fight back her tears thinking about Lili and cannot help but be worried about Bell and her friends. Filvis is also ready with her defensive magic, but her thoughts also drift to Leifya battling the Black Dragon.

In the containment area for prisoners, guards noticed a dim glow around the unconscious Light and Earth Great Spirits. With the purification magic, they will hope for the best while preparing for the worst.

The initial phase of the battle is proceeding satisfactorily, except for what has happened to Bell and Ais...


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

In the skies above Orario, Bell and Ais finally managed to stabilize their flight path after some tense moments in which they nearly crashed. However, they did not have time to think as the Black Dragon is in hot pursuit. As the dragon continue to shoot fireballs, they had to continue to evade. As a result, they could not even hope to go on the offensive, but instead must concentrate on recovering from the huge air disturbances caused by the explosions.

The dragon realized their plight and started to use charm again "Come on, Wind Spirit, you know you cannot win. I already gave you a great offer. Join me, and in return, we will not destroy these inferior beings. Your hero will get to live. I just want my immortality. The surface world can be shared..."

While the charm was not successful, Bell was furious and yelled back "We do not believe your poison words. I will not let you have Ais."

The dragon replied without charm "You are supposed to be the hero, but yet you are useless." "Wind Spirit, come join me or your beloved hero will suffer the same fate as the Pallum. He will make a good potted plant in my garden"

The dragon's cold words felt like a sharp stab in Bell's heart, confirming his worst fears. However, with angry tears came additional resolve to avenge Lili. On the other hand, Ais did not know what to do. They were all defensive but can barely dodge the attacks and control their flight.

At Ais' moment of weakness, Bell reassured her "Ais, you know what it will do if it wins. There is no sharing. It is do or die. Don't let the monster make you despair. We fight, we will win or lose together. Here or in heaven, I always want to be with you."

With those words, Ais was back. While this is not the ideal setting for Bell's confession, she has never been so happy and was blushing uncontrollably. She also could not believe how much Bell has changed in such a short time. However, they are still barely evading death by fireball, and no one is able to help...

On the grounds of Orario, the fighters have engaged the ice elementals and water elementals. As the combatants clashed, the mages launched their first spells, greatly reducing the numbers of the enemy at the front. However, the sheer numbers of the enemy was astounding, and there seems to be no end to them. On the other hand, no one has seen the water and ice Great Spirits, and the feeling is "when is the other shoe going to drop?" Another big concern is when would the uncountable number of violas show up?

In the meantime, Mia and her group tried to assist the Ganesha familia so that more help can get to the front to help with the devastating number of enemies. The panic in the city was undeniable. The city has never seen this much upheaval, and the odds seem to be overwhelming. Many wanted to surrender, while others knew surrender is suicide.

Furthermore, Ryuu seemed to have disappeared...

At the Babel, after several volleys of magic spells, the first wave of monsters have mostly been defeated, but several Xenos and fighters are down. After barely having time to carry away the injured and dead, the second wave has arrived with no delay, bringing despair to many.

The second wave indeed was headed by the Great Fire Spirit and its fire elementals. The moment they arrived, the temperature inside the Babel became insufferable. The mages on high ground at the upper levels were particularly roasting as the heat rose up. Riveria immediately tried to use her powers to protect the mages and the fighters/Xenos near the lid. However, even with her 8th level ability, she can only affect so many battles as more enemy kept pouring in.

Due to the urgent situation, discharges from ice-based magic swords did help, but the large number of fire elementals were starting to overwhelm the fighters. Asterius, Gros and the Xenos led a daring charge to break the enemy's ranks, but they were beaten back by the immense heat. At the same time, thousands of violas appeared and starting outflanking the fighters.

The situation appears bleak...


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

In the skies above Orario, Bell and Ais continue to survive nearby fireball explosions by using their crystal/Ariel abilities. However having to dodge continuously is exhausting, and leaves them little opportunity to go on offense. This predicament was surprising. They thought that they would be more maneuverable than the enormous dragon, though apparently Joint Aerial has it limits. Trying to land to fight on the ground also does not make sense, as the flying dragon would have a huge advantage in speed. However, a different strategy must be attempted or they will end up roasted alive sooner or later.

To gain a maneuvering advantage they decided to fly into a nearby forest. This is highly risky, as they could easily slam into a tree even if they slow down. They also would lose any chance of receiving any support from the mages in the city. However, they decided they needed to try an alternative and the dragon is definitely too large to fly among the trees especially with its outstretched wings.

As they flew into the forest, the dragon slowed down and did not follow. Instead, the Black Dragon proceeded to fly slightly above the forest. Every time it caught a glimpse of them, an attack was launched. Fortunately, the forest was great for hiding behind cover in the summer, and the dragon was getting frustrated. In the meantime, argonaut was fully charged, and a counter-attack opportunity was finally available. Instead of firebolt, they decided on a combined crystal/Aerial argonaut strike. Finally, Bell and Ais jumped into the clearing to launch their attack.

Hestia and Freya, who were eagerly monitoring the situation, jumped up and hugged each other like teenage fan girls when the argonaut strike was fired. However, the dragon caught sight of their attack maneuver and was able to fire off its own attack. Unfortunately, the dragon's lightning attack canceled out the brunt of the argonaut strike. As a result, the wings of the dragon were damaged but its armored scales were sufficient to protect it from the weakened attack.

With the full argonaut strike spent, Bell will need a significant time period before another strike is possible. As they have barely made a dent with all the new advantages conferred by the gods, this made Bell wonder how the previous team managed to injured dragon at all. From Ais' expression, Bell could tell that she was having the same thoughts. To cheer her up, he said to her "after we win, I am going to need a long lap pillow", which made her blush uncontrollably again...

In the meantime, all they can do is to keep running and dodging to buy time and figure out another strategy. The dragon started mocking them again, saying they lack the firepower needed to fight and so why not give up? Bell and Ais decided that they wanted to test the dragon's damaged wings, and thus started looking for an opportunity to launch out of the forest. If the fight in the air remains the same, they can always go back into the forest.

Once they found a reasonable clearing, they unwrapped a reverse veil and engaged Ariel to full speed again towards to the clearing...

On the grounds of Orario, the defenders could see the dragon firing off attacks in the nearby forest. However, they could not help as their own attacks could obviously not reach the forest. In the meantime, the fight with the ice and water elementals was slow going. They managed to shatter several ice elementals but more arrived to the fight, but their side has not suffer much injury other than some scraps and bruises.

Neither side appears to be really gaining an upper hand. At that point, Leifya made her move, firing off Fusillade Falarica, which destroyed most of the elementals at the front gate. With their numbers greatly reduced, the enemies quickly retreated, making the fighters cheered. However, Finn's thumb started to bother him, making him worry that the next wave of enemies may soon arrive...

At the Babel, many thousands of violas appeared and surrounded the fighters. Thus Riveria had to intervene and used Wynn Fimbulvetr, which froze all the violas and some of the fire elementals. However, a living plant wall appeared from the floor below and protect many of the fire elementals and the Great fire Spirit from the attack. A few seconds later, the enemy crashed through the frozen plant wall, and restarted hostilities.

With the number of enemies reduced to a more manageable situation, the Xenos and the fighter reengaged. This made Riveria wonder what the third wave would be like...

Meanwhile, Hephaestus, Welf and Tsubaki have finished the new magical weapon, a long javelin made of a shimmering silver metal. They handed it to Hermes, who is waiting for Asfi to emerge from a long discussion with several gods. Apparently, Asfi will be delivering the weapon to the battlefield along with information about how to use it based on Lili's information about the dragon's 2 magic stones...


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

In the forest near Orario, Bell and Ais quickly ramped up to full speed under the cloak of a reverse veil. They hoped the limited invisibility would buy them a few seconds as they gained altitude and speed. As they flew out into the clearing, they heard the Black Dragon's laughter... Hestia and Freya, who were remotely monitoring the situation, both screamed and recoiled in horror...

On the grounds of Orario, while the fighters were still cheering after the retreat of the enemy, an ominous sign appeared. A powerful aura was heading towards them. Finn surmised that the ice and water Great Spirits may have brought backup. Since this fight is outside, Finn suspects that the Lightning and Thunder Great Spirits may be finally joining the fight. Together, these 4 Great Spirits could almost bring the full force of nature's fiercest storm upon Orario. He cannot imagine the consequence if Ais the Great Wind Spirit is also corrupted.

Rallying the troops, Finn, Bete, Gareth and Ottar warned everyone of the situation but also reminded everyone about the victory of the Hestia familia over the Apollo familia, overcoming incredible odds of 5 against 100. The defenders cheered and many cries were heard about 'a glorious fight to the death' and 'all hail, little rookie'. Leifya also told Tiona and Tione to help Finn and the other fighters, as they will need all available manpower. Leifya reminded them that she can use concurrent chanting and can protect herself. ...

At the Babel, after Wynn Fimbulvetr destroyed the violas and reduced the number of fire elementals, the Xenos and fighters from the various familias have reengaged the enemy. They appeared to be gaining the upper hand. However, at that time, the third wave of the enemy arrived. Riveria instantly realized that this is going to be very difficult...

At the same time, a disturbance in the air appears to be rapidly heading towards the forest where Bell and Ais have been fighting the dragon. Is this an enemy or a friend?

Meanwhile, Hermes, Hephaestus, Welf, Tsubaki and others signaled good luck to Asfi, who is starting on her journey back to Orario. She will deliver the secret weapon based on Lili's information. The brave Pellum risked her life to spy on the enemy, finding out their strength in numbers as well as the dragon's big secret: The reason the previous teams were unable to kill it was the existence of a second magic stone. Unlike the first stone in the typical central location, the second stone was located in an unexpected location. Lili may have paid the ultimate price, but her message from deep in enemy territory may change the course of history.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

In the forest near Orario, Bell and Ais were shocked to see that the dragon was in the perfect position to attack when they entered the clearing area. While laughing in a scary evil way, the dragon fired off a fireball in their general direction. While unsure of their exact location, the dragon apparently sensed the disturbance in the air from a relatively short distance away. With little time to react, Ais was just barely able to start an evasive maneuver while Bell fired off a large cloud of protective crystals to blunt the attack without the combined benefits with Aerial.

As a result of the evasive maneuver and the crystal cloud, the fireball was not a direct hit, but its explosion was able to slam them really hard onto the ground. Bell protected Ais during the collision with the ground, but he was knocked out from the impact with apparently broken ribs and a broken right leg.

Ais realized the hopelessness of the situation. At this point, Ais only cared about protecting Bell, but she had no negotiation leverage. She immediately offered to surrender "I will go with you, just let Bell live". The dragon laughed again "The deal is off. You made me do all this work, and the damage to my wings is going to take a year to regenerate. And you want me to let him live? Surely you jest?" All Ais could say was "I will do whatever you want if you let him live". After their exchange, the dragon heads towards them, with the apparent intent to finish off Bell with a physical attack so that it can take Ais away for its immortality and world domination goals.

From their remote location, Hestia and Freya were hugging each other tightly and crying aloud. Hermes, Hephaestus, Welf, Tsubaki and others were desperately hoping that somehow Ais can buy some time so that the secret weapon can be used...

As the dragon got close, Ais noticed a disturbance in the air above the dragon...

Near the city gates of Orario, Finn's suspicion was confirmed as the Lightning and Thunder Great Spirits have arrived with the Water and Ice Great Spirits. Together, they fired their combined magic forces at the city's defenders. At the same time, using Elf Ring, Leifya started to activate Via Shillheim, Riveria's most powerful defense magic. Leifya's magic, along with defensive magic from the other mages, clashed with the Spirits' attacks, resulting in an enormous explosion..

At the Babel, the third wave of the enemy appeared, starting with 6 more heavenly male cows stomping into the lid area completely out of control along with another wave of violas also sprung out of various locations. Even more frightening was the appearance of a strange looking Thanatos with a even stranger aura calmly walking towards the Great Fire Spirit.

Riveria noticed the strange-looking Thanatos and had a horrible thought about what may be going on. Nevertheless, Riveria did not hesitate in launching Vas Windheim, her most powerful attack magic. This brought an end to the new violas and inflicted some serious damage to the heavenly male cows. The Xenos and the familia fighters bravely took on the new wave of enemies as well as the remaining fire elementals. To assist with the fighting, Mikoto used her Futsunomitama spell in an attempt to contain and crush two heavenly male cows while Filvis also launched her Dio Thyrsos attack on another heavenly male cow.

However, for the first time, Riveria realized they may be outgunned...

Meanwhile, Asfi was moving at her top speed towards Orario under the cloak of her Hades Hat. She can only hope that she is not too late...


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

As the dragon heads towards Ais and the Bell with a killing intent, Ais noticed a disturbance in the air above the dragon. Suddenly, the dragon responded as if in great pain and started flying up into the sky as fast as it could. It was at that point that Ais saw Ryuu on its back after her Hades Hat fell off as she 'rode the dragon'.

Apparently, Ryuu put on the Hades Hat after she saw the battle in the sky. That was because Ryuu realized she was the only combatant who could provide assistance to Bell and Ais in the air. As the one-eye dragon swooped in on Ais and the unconscious Bell, she jumped onto the dragon's back from its blind side and stabbed with all her strength into its back. As the dragon reacted violently to throw Ryuu off its back, she held on with all her might . After more struggling, Ryuu was able to land a second hit, making a huge cut in its wing. The cut actually caused much more damage than the argonaut crystal/aerial attack and appears to affect the dragon's flying ability. As the dragon writhed in pain, it cursed its assailant and wanted revenge. Even though it would damage itself with a breathe attack on Ryuu, the dragon fired an lightning attack at Ryuu. Unfortunately, she had no chance to evade the point-blank attack. As Ryuu dropped towards the ground, she managed one final Luminous Wind attack before becoming unconscious.

At the same time, taking advantage of the dragon's fight with Ryuu, Ais immediately poured elixirs on Bell. She also activated Aerial to escape from the forest. Although it is an incomplete recovery, Bell's deep injuries clearly stabilized. Ais headed as fast as she could back towards Orario to get medical help for Bell. By the time she saw Ryuu falling down towards the ground, she had already half-way back to Orario and was in no position to lend assistance.

Meanwhile, the dragon went back to the clearing only to find that Ais and Bell have disappeared. It then spotted Ais and Bell heading back towards Orario, and immediately took off after them. Fortunately, the damage to one of its wings meant it could not fly straight. As a result, Ais was able to get Bell back to the Dian Cecht familia in Orario without interference. At the infirmary, Amid Teasanare immediately applied additional treatments including spells, elixirs and potions that helped stopped the internal bleeding and repaired the broken bones. However, Bell needs to rejoin the battle and so must be woken up...

At that point, Amid told Ais that resuscitation may be the only way. Ais performed her duty as the Dian Cecht familia members turned their backs to give her some privacy. However, it did not work. Getting desperate, Amid said in a clinical fashion "The tongue is very sensitive". Blushing horribly, Ais did her duty again. After a few tries, Bell finally woke up with a special glow about him.

From their remote location, Hestia and Freya were initially hugging and cheering the improvement in Bell's condition, but then both nose-bled and fainted as Ais performed her duty. Despite the incredibly serious situation, Hermes, Hephaestus, Welf, Tsubaki and others all had knowing smirks on their faces. However, everyone quickly turned their attention back to the battle...

Near the city gates of Orario, the great collision of magic powers caused all the combatants to be knocked off their feet. Bete tried to protect his group by using Hati to absorb as much of the magic power and damage as possible, but both Finn and Tiona were knocked out.

As the corrupted Spirits gathered their strength for another strike, Leifya and the other mages had no choice but cast their defensive spells again. After another horrible collision, almost half of the fighters have been taken out of the battle. A third strike by the corrupted Spirits would be deadly...

At the Babel, the battle has become extremely bloody. Asterius was defeated and horribly injured by a charging heavenly male cow. Many Xenos and familia fighters were either dead or unconscious. 3 of the heavenly male cows have been killed while most of the fire elementals are destroyed. Mikoto has suffered from mind blank from her overuse of Futsunomitama. Filvis and even Riveria are nearly exhausted from the continuous use of magic.

As the remaining Xenos and fighters are locked in deadly battle with 3 heavenly male cows and a number of fire elementals, the strange looking Thanatos smiled and fired off a strange magic that changed the battle field...

Meanwhile, Asfi has arrived at Orario. Seeing the ongoing battle at the city gates, she searched desperately for Bell, who needs to deliver the secret weapon in a hero's strike. Fortunately, Mia saw Asfi and immediately told her to head to the Dian Hecht familia infirmary...


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

As Asfi ran into the Dian Hecht familia infirmary, she saw Ais applying the final resuscitation. Shocked by the situation, Asfi yelled "Ais, there is a time for everything, and this is not the time for that". At which point, Amid told Asfi that resuscitation may be the only way to wake Bell up.

Once Bell became conscious with a special 'glow', Asfi immediately handed him the long javelin and reminded everyone about the dragon's 2 magic stones. Ais, still dying of embarrassment, was only able to nod but could not look anyone in the eyes. Bell and Ais immediately headed back to the battlefield in Aerial. Before exiting, Ais told Asfi about the location where Ryuu fell. After hearing about the dire situation at the city gates, Amid and her familia members also went to lend assistance on the battlefield.

At their remote location, Hestia and Freya regained conscious, and both were quite distraught about what just happened. Sensing the tension, Hermes, Hephaestus, Welf, Tsubaki and others stopped smirking and changed the topic to what was going on in the Babel and at the city gates. Realizing what may be going on, Hestia became unusually quiet...

At the city gates, the corrupted Spirits launched their third deadly magic attack. Leifya and the other mages again had no choice but cast their defensive spells. However, a miracle happen as their magic overpowered the attacks from the corrupted Spirits. When the dust settled, it appeared that two new combatants has interfered. The Light and Earth Great Spirits, apparently purified, sufficiently blunted the attacks that the defensive spells were able to hold. The recovered spirits were shocked at what the Water, Ice, Thunder and Lightning Great Spirits were doing and started thinking about what they themselves have done...

At that time, the Black Dragon arrived on the scene. It was furious as the damage to one of its wings kept making it fly in circles. Seeing that the Earth and Light Great Spirits were free from its control, it started trying to regain control over them. Having been controlled once, the 2 Great Spirits were better able to resist. Fortunately, Bell and Ais arrived at the city gates with the long javelin at that time. Realizing the situation, they immediately launched themselves towards the dragon...

At the Babel, Thanatos strange magic had defeated all the defenders except with Riveria. Riveria was shocked and said "You are not allowed to use your Arcana, how are you doing this". At which point Thanatos laughed and told her "Those silly rules no longer apply to me. You know you cannot fight me. You will now join me." After his words, Thanatos broke Riveria's remaining defenses and threw a clear sphere at Riveria, who was unable to move due to Thanatos' powers...


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

As Bell and Ais arrived at the city gates, they understood that the situation with the dragon and the purified spirits can quickly change for the worse. Realizing these risks, they immediately launched themselves at maximum speed towards the one-eye Dragon. To protect themselves as well as he can, Bell fired off a cloud of crystals before activating Argonaut in the javelin strike. Believing that this was a great opportunity to finish off Bell and Ais, the dragon launched a fireball at them.

To the dragon's shock, Bell and Ais sent themselves straight through the exploding fireball instead of evading the attack. With Bell's magic resistance, he wrapped himself around Ais to protect her as much as possible. Even with his magic resistance and the protective Aerial/crystal, it was torture. However, they simply were determined to launch the Hero's strike with the secret weapon based on Lili's sacrifice. Thinking of Lili did make the fire inferno more tolerable. As they exited the exploding fireball, they ramped straight into the dragon's midsection. Their aim was true; the javelin struck its target, and the javelin ignited Welf's lightning charge. After the Argonaut/lightning explosion, the dragon suffered a huge hole in its chest where one magic stone once was located. Realizing the need to escape, the badly-injured dragon flew as fast as it was able away from Orario...

The successful attack had an unexpected effect, the 4 corrupted Great spirits collapsed. Taking advantage of the situation, the Light and Earth Great Spirits immediately sealed their former colleagues. With the sealing, the 4 suddenly 'woke' up and appeared to have regained control of themselves. After making sure that this was not a rouse, they were freed and reunited with their colleagues.

While pouring elixir on Bell and Ais, everyone had a real dilemma. They were very concerned that Bell's synchronization with Riveria is failing, but yet this was the best opportunity to finish off the dragon. While the dragon was severely injured, the second magic stone must still be destroyed to finally end the horror.

The 6 Great Spirits, after collecting themselves, started to chase after the dragon. They have been controlled by the Black Dragon for centuries, and now they must see to it that this threat is forever destroyed.

Just in case the dragon regains its mind control powers, Gareth and Ottar also went on the dragon hunt.

The remaining Freya familia, Bete and Tione will stay at the city gate to protect the injured and the city.

At the same time, Bell, Ais, Leifya and the other mages will head towards the Babel to help Riveria and the others. The available Ganesha familia members will also head towards the Babel after conducting a search of the city.

Fortunately, as Bell and Ais headed for the Babel, Amid and her familia members arrived at the city gate. As her familia members attended to the injured, Amid immediately starting treating Finn and Tiona. However, the 2 warriors remained unconscious.

With the urgency to return the valiant warriors to the battlefield, Amid told Tione and Bete that resuscitation was necessary. Of course, Amid was surprised when Tione performed her duty on Finn instead of Tiona. Bete went along with the situation and performed his duty on Tiona. After some time, both Finn and Tiona woke up though all 4 were blushing badly. After collecting themselves, Finn and Tione ran towards the direction of the dragon, while Tiona and Bete headed to Babel...

At the same time, Asfi arrived at the area of the forest where Ryuu may have fell...


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The 6 Great Spirits, along with Gareth and Ottar, are running as hard as they can to chase down the Black Dragon. Fortunately, the badly-injured dragon was barely able to fly. At the same time, the gods are also carefully monitoring so that it cannot escape...

Meanwhile, Ais and Bell sped towards the Babel using Ariel, with Leifya and the other mages following as fast as they can. With Riveria's synchronization failing, they were extremely worried...

After the defeat of the dragon and the corrupted Great Spirits, Amid and her familia members are taking care of the injured and the dead. To protect the city, the Freya familia and the Ganesha familia are actively patrolling and searching for any remaining enemies. With this dramatic change in circumstances, a strange calm has taken hold.

At the Babel, the strange looking Thanatos has apparently exerted his divine powers. Except for Riveria, Thanatos' powers quickly defeated and apparently sealed all of the defenders in a strange state. Riveria's defense magic was then also defeated, and she was held in stasis by Thanatos. Perhaps curious to see what will happen, Thantatos threw a clear sphere at Riveria. At the last possible second, a firebolt like attack destroyed the glass sphere and its contents. Surprisingly, that was not Bell arriving to the rescue, but instead it was the Great Fire Spirit who is apparently freed from the Black Dragon's powers.

Watching the entire drama unfold from their remote location, the gods were shocked that Thanatos was blatantly using his divine powers. While they started debating the proper punishment, it became apparent was that those powers were different than Thanatos' powers from 1000 years ago. Recognizing the strange aura around Thanatos' strange aura, they realized that Thanatos may have used some new power to infect and modify himself. Thus, he is no longer a god, but a god-monster as Takemikazuchi called him.. They also realized now that Thanatos' new powers may be based on a plant-based mutation magic. Thus, Thanatos is also likely the source of the strange new monsters and unusual events in the dungeon.

Back at the Babel, annoyed with the Great Fire Spirit's interference, Thanatos overpowered the Great Fire Spirit after a short struggle. As Thanatos also put the Spirit in stasis, Bell and Ais arrived. Seeing the handiwork of Thanatos, they immediately launched a firebolt/aerial attack. However, that attack was stopped by Thanatos' defensive magic. Realizing that their magic spells lack adequate power and that argonaut charging is not available, Bell and Ais unsheathed their weapons. Amused by the situation, Thanatos laughed "The hero and the sword princess, you think you are any match for a god? You will now become my obedient servants." Instead of using his magic, Thanatos amusingly formed a green spear weapon to fight with Bell and Ais.

While Bell and Ais were fighting with Thanatos, Leifya and the other mages arrived and launched their magic at Thanatos. As expected, Thanatos' defensive magic is far too powerful. Annoyed by another disturbance, Thanatos used the same strange magic to defeat and immobilize Leifya and the other mages. Almost apologizing for the interruption, Thanatos returned to the fight with Ais and Bell. With his superior strength and speed, Thanatos overpowered both Ais and Bell. He first disarmed them, and then proceeded to spear them until they fell onto the ground. For his finishing touch, he revealed two more glass spheres.

Realizing the danger, Bell tried to protect Ais by shielding her with his body. Unfortunately, that meant that Bell was hit by both spheres. What followed was a form of the horrible parasitic transformation. Screaming in horrible pain, Bell managed to resist the 'calling' of the 2 spheres. With Liaris Freese, Bell unbelievably maintained his self-control while Ais tried to comfort and encourage him. Angered by Bell's resistance, Thanatos said "So you are worthy of being called a hero. To think that you resisted a double dose"...

After waiting for a short period, Thanatos made a decision and said "Ok hero, you resist being my servant, so you will be a potted plant like your friend". With that, he activated the final transformation, changing Bell into a viscum-looking mutation in front of the horrified Ais...

While the gods are still arguing about what to do, a furious Hestia will no longer standby. She got up and said "I will not allow this to continue" and then to Freya and Hermes "I will now do what I must do." With those words, Hestia disappeared. After Hestia disppeared, Takemikazuchi, Miach and Heptaestus also got up and vanished...

Perhaps shamed into action, the remaining gods agreed to first stop the madness and then decide on the punishment and other appropriate actions...


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Using her Arcana, Hestia suddenly appeared at the Babel. It broke her heart to see Bell transformed into the viscum-like plant with Ais frozen in shock by his side. She is so angry that she can barely contain her Arcana from going completely wild.

Thanatos immediately noticed her and laughed "So Hestia, you like what I have done with the place?" Hestia demanded that Thanatos reverse his magic, but his reply was "You should know I am more powerful than a god now. You are in no position to make any demands".

With that, hostilities started. The first explosion basically knocked the Babel down, so the lid was literally blown off the Babel. Fortunately, Hestia was able to prevent anyone from getting crushed. At that point, Takemikazuchi, Miach and Heptaestus appeared and joined the fight.

With all their Arcana unlocked, the first action they took was to bring the battle to another dimension. The 4-on-1 battle was quite even, as Thanatos apparently was not lying when he stated he was more powerful than a god. After massive exchanges of divine powers, Zeus and Hera appeared followed by Loki and Freya.

With the 8 gods combining their Arcana, they finally got the upper hand on Thanatos. However, the battle continued. At the end, Hestia landed the first major blow that pierced Thanatos' 'body'. To their shock, the gash revealed what seemed to be a clear magic stone. Sensing defeat was near, Thanatos attempted to escape to the same timeless dimension that the Black Dragon was trapped in. He knew that he was the only one with enough power to avoid being trapped within the timeless dimension. At that point, Cronos appeared, and he suspended Thanatos in a time bubble within the timeless dimension. Instead of stopping time, time moved infinitely quickly inside the bubble. Even if Thanatos can escape from the bubble, he would have arrived at the end of time. The universe will have ended already so it would not matter.

After the defeat of Thanatos, the 8 gods returned to the Babel. They found that the trapped familia members and the Xenos were already freed from Thanatos' magic. Bete and Tiona also arrived and were trying to comfort the completely-distraught Ais. When Ais saw Hestia, she begged her to save Bell, even if Ais has to 'take his place'. Hestia's hugged Ais warmly and said "I am going to take care of it. You need to take care of Bell from now on because I will no longer be able to."...

Having said that, Hestia used her Aracana to reformat Bell back to his original form. Since she was already violating the rules, she also detected Lili on the 18th floor and also reformatted her. The other gods did not stopped Hestia because they sympathized with her. Unfortunately, the rules are the rules. While defeating Thanatos was 'allowable' since he was breaking the rules, they will now have no choice but to send her back to heaven...

Hestia was allowed 5 minutes to say her goodbyes. Bell, who just woke up, did not know what to say. He loved Hestia with all his heart, even though it was different than the love he had for Ais. All they could do was hug and cry during those 5 minutes. At the end of the 5 minutes, Hestia said to Ais "You can have him for this lifetime, but he is mine when he comes to heaven. When you come to heaven, we can fight over him then." Ais could only smile and told Hestia that she also wishes to see Hestia again. With those words, Hestia returned to heaven in a column of light.

Following that, Zeus winked at Bell and then disappeared with Hera.

Desiring not to interfere any more, Takemikazuchi, Miach, Heptaestus, Freya and Loki left the area to check on the rest of the city after they 'transported' away the ruins of the Babel tower. This left the opening in the dungeon without a lid.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

With the defeat of Thanatos, normalcy returned to Orario. Although the new normal is quite a sight to behold.

The Babel would not be rebuilt, but instead would be guarded in cooperation with the Xenos. A memorial will be built onsite to recognize all the fallen heros who gave their lives to protect civilization.

The Xenos have been formally accepted by the city after being recognized for their bravery in the war. Asterius and the injured Xenos recovered from their wounds thanks to help from Fels and the Dian Cecht familia.

The Freya familia received an award for its role in killing the Black Dragon. As a result, Ottar reached level 8. While Freya still cares about Bell, she now feels strange watching over Bell because Ais is usually close to him. As a result, Freya seems to be spending more quality time with Ottar.

The Loki familia was also recognized for their role in the war, after which Finn, Gareth and Riveria finally made level 7. Riveria and Gareth retired shortly after the ceremony where everyone got drunk but only Bete had to be tied up. Leifya advanced to level 5 and took over Riveria's role. Loki is sad about 'losing' Ais to Bell, but she seems to enjoy teasing Finn and Bete about their new circumstances.

The Hestia familia was allowed to remain intact despite Hestia ascending. For updating, each member is allowed to visit Hestia for 30 minutes per month. The Hestia familia also received a large reward for extreme valor in the war, which was used to pay up the debt owed to Heptaestus. After the war, Haruhime, Lili, Mikoto and Welf shockingly all leveled. Each was recognized for their key roles in the war. Haruhime for level-boost the fighting teams with her level-boosting group. Lili for her daring spy mission that gathered critical information about enemy strength and the Black Dragon's secret. Mikoto for repeatedly saving fighters by constraining fire elementals and heavenly male cows. Welf for producing a number of magic weapons including the innovative lightning charging of the 'Lili Javelin' that blew up the Black Dragon. Bell and Lili earned personal rewards for extraordinary contributions and personal sacrifices in the war. From Ourano's private stock of grimoires, Bell received Hati for absorbing magic attacks while Lili received firebolt so she can be like Bell.

The Takemikazuchi familia and the Miach familia moved into the Hestia familia home. Takemikzuchi and Miach would support and represent Hestia familia members during divine parties and meetings, as well as act as the substitute teacher at the Hestia familia home.

Zeus visits Bell in his dreams sometimes, and explained why he left, as an angry lady was chasing after him. He also felt Bell needed independence to become a proper hero. As compensation, he told Bell about a big secret - Ais was not asleep during their sleep practice...

Welf would often visit Heptaestus to work on new magical weapons, causing a lot of gossip and teasing at the divine baths, especially about Welf needing to put his lightning charge in all his weapons.

Lili and Haruhime are spending a lot of quality time together. Beyond training, they really enjoy spending time at various hot springs. This has earned a lot of teasing from Welf. Weine now often visits and sleeps over.

Since Takemikazuchi is living at the Hestia familia home, he gave Mikoto the other sword. This resulted in a lot of gossiping at the divine baths about how Takemikazuchi got a room at the Hestia familia home. Under the threat of Futsunomitama, Takemikazuchi is also more reserved when flirting with other women.

Finn and Tione seem to be spending more quality time together after Tione resuscitated Finn. Tione now also owns a small bell, which she will ring when she needs Finn to provide service.

Bete and Tiona seem to be spending more quality time together after Bete resuscitated Tiona. They are often seen training together but Tiona has become an expert at tying Bete up.

Leifya and Filvis are spending a lot of time together training and developing new magical skills, causing Loki to tease about how their progress does not account for the time spent. Filvis also reached level 5 after the war.

Asfi and Hermes continue to act like the odd couple. Asfi seems to enjoy hanging Hermes upside down after catching him peeking.

While Asfi did save Ryuu's life, Ryuu's injuries were so severe that she decided to stop adventuring. As a result, she has gotten more serious about her work at the Hostess of Fertility and became the assistant manager. Ryuu and Syr are now often seen together enjoying various hot springs.

With agreement from all the gods, Bell and Hestia are allowed to meet on the moon for one day every month on the day of the full moon. To relive their experiences while briefing Hestia on the latest gossip, Bell would always bring freshly-cooked Jagamarukuns with him. Each time they meet, Hestia also would make Bell serve under her, while showing Bell more maternal nurturing and teasing him about being a hero.

With life settling down a bit, Bell has become more comfortable with his fame. He is now the recorder holder for level 1, level 2, level 3, level 4, level 5 and level 6. After Bell reached level 6 at the conclusion of the war, he was very pleased as he has finally caught up to Ais' level. However, Bell had to perform special services for Hestia who made Bell-kun earn the update.

One day, Bell finally told Ais the truth about the battle with the dragon. Apparently, Bell was already partially conscious as Ais repeatedly performed resuscitation with great passion. Combined with Zeus exposing her coy pretense during the sleep practice, Ais became emotional and knocked Bell out before applying more lap pillow...


End file.
